Electrocution and Electric Shock Accident

Electrocution is death by electric shock, but is commonly used to include any injuries caused by bodily contact with electricity. We shall refer to all electrical injuries, including electrical shocks, wrongful death and burns caused by electricity, as electrocution or electric shock injuries.

If you or someone you care about has been injured due to electrocution, electricity or any other cause, please contact us now for an absolutely FREE consultation.

Electrocution injuries cause many different types of wounds and sometimes even death. When someone is injured so badly that death results it is commonly referred to as wrongful death. According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 1,000 people are killed in the United States each year due to electrocution. Typical injuries resulting from electrocution ands electrical shocks include the following:

• Cardiac arrest from the effect of electricity on one’s heart
• Burns, including severe burns to the skin and tissue under the skin
• Nerves and tissue maybe damaged from electrical currents
• Spinal cord injury resulting from the electric current passing from hand to hand, through one’s body, and also because victims of electrocution are often thrown off ladders and/or great distances, causing trauma to one’s body.
• Fractures from being thrown or falling off ladders
• Delayed spinal cord problems
• Peripheral nerve damage
• Respiratory arrest and other breathing problems. While lungs are resistant to electrical current due to their poor ability to conduct electrical current, they may be injured when electrical current passes through one’s chest or through the part of the brain that regulates breathing
• Kidney damage and muscle injuries from the electrical current
• Eardrums (tympanic membranes) are often ruptured
• Cataracts may appear months later in 6% of electrocution cases, with greater frequency when the electricity’s contact is closer to one’s head
• Loss of consciousness
• Amnesia
• Confusion
• Seizures
• Psychiatric and psychological problems, including depression, anxiety and aggression

There are many different factors that determine how severe the electrocution injury may be, including the following:

• The type of electrical current
• The amount of voltage
• The length of time one’s body is in contact with the electrical current
• The actual pathway the electrical current takes through one’s body
• The actual type of circuit
• The victim’s state of health
• How quickly help arrives

Any electrical current may cause injury and burn. Death may occur from any electrical shock that carries sufficient current to stop one’s heart. Smaller currents may trigger fibrillation (which is often defined as an irregular and uncoordinated contraction of the cardiac muscle) in the heart which is often reversible via the use of a defibrillator, while larger currents may cause death or permanent injury by burns and cellular damage.

Unfortunately, the human body conducts electricity, making it susceptible to serious injuries, including burns, and wrongful death. Fortunately, there are steps one can take to prevent electrical shock injury and we invite you to see our web page on causes of electrocution and electric shock & preventative measures.

For detailed information for damages allowed for electrocution and electric shock injuries under California law, please see our web page on damages.

• Medline Plus
• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
• SixWise.com